THE TRUFFLE VS THE MUSHROOM

Psychedelic fungi can be broken down into two appearances, the mushroom and the truffle. Both parts are edible. Psychedelic truffles are less known, yet similar to psychedelic mushrooms. where the mushroom is the actual fruiting body and the truffle, or rather the sclerotium, which is actually a hardening of the mycelium and serves as a moisture and nutrient reserve in bad climate conditions. Both contain the same main active compounds, also called alkaloids;

Psilocybin, the main ingredient;
• Psilocin, the actual psychoactive component which is formed in the stomach and liver by dephosphorylation of the psilocybin.
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• Baeocystin, which comes in lower concentrations in the truffles, than in the kind of mushrooms we normally consume.
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The main difference is in how they are produced. Psychedelic truffles are underground clumps formed out of mycelial strands, whereas psychedelic mushrooms grow out fully when climate conditions are favorable.

SUPERIOR PROPERTIES

In particular for medical research and development, we believe that truffles offer superior properties to mushrooms, primarily given the suggested generally milder effects and the lower variability in terms of psychoactive content. This is due to truffles consisting only of a single homogenous body and because we can grow them in more controlled conditions, which yield chunks of sclerotia of relatively similar size.

While there hasn’t been much research into the chemical composition of psychedelic truffles yet, there is one study which found almost identical  concentrations of alkaloids in three different truffle samples analysed. We believe this to be a key characteristic property allowing for accurate dosing which is essential for application in medical treatment and psychotherapy.

THE PRODUCTION PROCESS

Leveraging an environmental-friendly and cost-effective platform to produce 100% naturally grown premium truffles

Based on many years of process engineering and innovation, we have combined agricultural techniques into a state-of-the art production process for psychedelic truffles. We believe our in-depth species knowledge and advanced cultivation methodology provide us with a head start and a barrier to entry. Our production process  ensures consistent superior quality and a 100% naturally grown (organic) product.

PHARMA GRADE 

Our pharma grade manufacturing process is hands-free. The production takes place completely indoors in a purpose-built, high-care facility. We use cleanrooms and special equipment with precision controls (e.g. temperature, humidity) for creating an optimal and consistent cultivation environment. Our truffle cultivation takes place in a sealed sack, protecting it from unwanted outside influences. As such, our methodology prevents for any potential product pollution or contamination.

QUALITY AND FOOD SAFETY 

Our production is entirely chemicals- and pesticides-free. As the first in our industry, we apply HACCP (Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points) as a systematic preventive approach to food safety from biological, chemical, physical hazards in all our processes In addition, we comply with the EU GMP (Good Manufacturing Practices) guidelines for cultivation, testing, and quality control which ensures that our products are safe for human consumption or use. As such, we have our own in-house PHD scientists team and dedicated laboratory for quality assurance and production optimizations.

ENVIRONMENTAL-FRIENDLY AND CIRCULAR

All raw materials we use are natural and primarily consist of spores and substrates.. All our suppliers are traceable which ensures legal compliance and high quality of input materials. Raw materials and substrates (primarily compost, grain and seed species), we use for cultivation are also cheap and readily available.

Our production is highly sustainable. It is designed to be low on both water and energy consumption. Subsequently, our carbon footprint is very small. Sacks we use for truffle cultivation are the only mono plastic materials we use and are 100% recyclable. Substrates can also be reused which makes our entire production process increasingly circular with hardly any residual waste.

COST EFFICIENT

Through ongoing process engineering, our production has become highly cost-efficient. Over the years, we have been able to lower the cash cost of our truffle production by more than 20% per gram and can be even more reduced in the future, when upscaling the production further

HYPER-SCALABLE 

Our 1440 square meter production facility is hyper-scalable. Our current run-rate production for the recreational use market is  just around 10% of our maximum annual production capacity.

After scaling up production and based on an assumed two macro dosages a year for each patient, we would be able to serve the entire US adult population that suffers from at least one major depressive disorder (~6.7% of total US adult population), in any given year. (Source: National Institute of Mental Health, 2019)